How Tech Lost Me

Subtitle: I've had enough.

Full disclosure, I work in cybersecurity and will likely do so for another decade.

I'm in my early 50s and have worked in IT my entire adult life. It's the only 'professional' job I've ever worked, and likely will work. But tech has lost its way. 

The caveat is that it has lost its way the same way the entire country has. 

Money. 

It's the only thing that matters anymore. Not utility, not quality, hell, not even basic competence.

Devices themselves have become commodities. Designed to be replaced every couple of years, some even being cut off from software updates or even bricked after a specified time. On the whim of someone staring at a spreadsheet an entire product line can be wiped away and with it, the support of all those devices. 

As a kid if you had told me I'd be able to own an electric car that could drive me around, I'd be ecstatic. While that has come to fruition, I'm hesitant to pull the trigger on buying one, even with high fuel prices. Why? I don't trust those who make them. My family cars are all relatively new, 2016 and up with 3 of the 4 being 2019 to present. They have electronics and computers sure. But they're still internal combustion engines. I don't want to spend an exorbitant amount of money on an electric car for it to be bricked due to a software flaw. Or worse, some company goes out of business, or they decide to stop supporting my version. 

Just today, a friend of mine, a high level SDET, which I had to google, evidently, it's a software engineer that writes tests for software companies. I knew he was QA, but I don't get into the weeds about our job specifics. Anyway, his role was dissolved, and he was fortunate enough to still have a job just a different focus. 22 other folks at the organization weren't so lucky. I asked if the company, which makes fleet management software, was having any money troubles. His reply? Their revenue for Q1 was 38% higher than the same quarter last year. They're just "refocusing". It's pure evil. Capitalism is awful, tech company capitalism is the worst imaginable. 

Nearly every day on LinkedIn I see notice of a layoff. When I do, I always google the total compensation of the CEO and share the post with that information. Layoffs do happen, sometimes a company has no choice. But that's not the case here is it? These are evil publicly shared companies that are profitable. A layoff needed? Executives should cut their pay (and RSUs) to zero first, they can stomach the hit. These are human beings with families we're talking about.

All these famous companies have been laying off like crazy, then when I see they have an opening folks breathlessly share it on LinkedIn. DON'T WORK FOR THESE COMPANIES. They hate you and would shoot you in the face for a dollar. If talent won't go there, they'll learn their lesson.

Companies are not your friend. It's a business transaction. When you get hired, do what's expected, how it's expected and deliver it when it's expected. That's it. Don't bring pictures to work, don't work late without compensation. Don't put their email or slack on your phone. Nothing. Live your life.

Tech used to be something that was cool, that moved us forward. Now? It's billion-and-trillion-dollar companies shoving shit down our throats whether we want it or not.